Hi Brian
I can reply as a relative beginner :-)
...
> in the basement. I'm currently using a PVC pipe to blow on and have put
> in enough practice time to realize that this endevour is addicting.
> Hopefully (my wife just read this) a "real" bamboo shak will soon be in
> my future, but I really don't know anything about selecting an
> instrument.
I started with a very inexpensive bamboo instrument, which wasn't in
tune and also in E not D. From there I moved to a wooden D shak from
David Brown in Melbourne, Australia, which I'm very very happy with.
Late last year I bought one of the low end bamboo shaks from Zach in
2.4, which is very good for the price -- much better than the one I
started with but not as good as my wooden D. I currently think of the
imperfections as being more in line with the Zen spirit of honkyoku ;-)
I put in intermediate practise, have played a bride in at a church
wedding and used to play every week for a meditation group. I started
playing shak in December 31 1996, so as a 4 year old blower I'm really
only just beginning to get there. It's very much like martial arts...
Hard work, jumps of progress, with a great return when you move ahead.
> Now, my dilema is that I don't want to invest a fortune, several hundred
> dollars will do. I have been advised that the best investment in this
> price range would be one of the cast bore student grade instruments.
It helped me heaps to get a better instrument (I payed about $500Aus)
for my wooden shakuhachi. I've had a play on different bamboo instruments
and I can't honestly tell all that much difference. My current strategy
is to get a more expensive instrument when I get a job again (I'm currently
finishing my PhD thesis). I really don't think that for the beginner to
intermediate player a higher price shakuhachi is worth the investment. I
play guitar as well, where I also went from a good beginners instrument
to a good professional instrument, jumping the premium beginners instruments
along the way.
> However, I see these ascetically appealing cast bore root end shak
> advertised on the WEB and wonder if it's worth spending the extra
> several hundreds of dollars for one of these.
So, basically, in my understanding there are master craftsmen instruments
and there are more production style instruments (cast bore, wooden, etc).
This is just like in all instruments, e.g. for guitars there are Luthiers
who will make you a fantastic guitar (there's an excellent shop in the Napa
Valley showcasing a range of these, for example) or you can get a guitar
from makers that go beyond individual's workshops, such as Martin, Fender,
Gibson, etc who also make excellent instruments that are professional
quality.
The craftsmen instruments tend to be more expensive but usually are also
that bit better in overall quality for two reasons:
1. the maker can take the time to really understand the specific bit
of bamboo (or wood for guitars) that is being used to get absolutely
the most out of it for the instrument
2. there is an element of _art_ in making an instrument, and that shows
more in smaller shops than bigger ones
My next shak will most likely be a Tom Deaver, but probably not for another
6-8 months (I should probably put my order in soon ;-)
> (I also play mandolin -
> ever heard of "scroll envy"? I suspect that we're dealing with a deep,
> psychological sickness here.) Anyone have an opinion (on the value of
> the root shak)?
There's undoubtedly a lot of aesthetic importance in the root end. It's
something I've also thought about a lot... In a nutshell, my advice is:
Don't get a root end shakuhachi now (save the money).
Get a really good one in a few years.
> Which raises several other questions:
> Does a root-end shak sound any different (better?) than a non-root instrument?
> Will a cast bore shak be easier to blow than my PCV pipe?
Probably not for the first octave, but you'll get more range and control over
the harder notes. It's a very weird instrument there. More expensive shakuhachis
are often harder to play, but worth it for the tonal quality.
> Any recommendations amoung builders?
Yes, I'd love to hear more on this topic.
> Please feel free to reply off list to keep the traffic down.
Hey, none of that. I don't get anywhere near enough chance to talk
or listen to talk about shakuhachi as it is!!! :-)
All the best,
Ralf
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